Stop Waiting, Start Living

As human beings, we often have perfectionist tendencies and wait to do things until circumstances are just right or this, that, or the other happens first. Then we will be ready. Then it will be perfect timing. Then we will have enough money saved, have a better plan, or whatever it is that will be better then than it is now. THEN. What is then? Why do we postpone living until this elusive “then” when we could be living right NOW? Time is precious and we don’t have a lot of it to waste not doing the things we really want to be doing or living the way we want to be living, so why do we?

In this post, I talked a bit about fear and making decisions from fear or love. I know the times I’ve held back from doing things or waited until I was more “ready”, it’s been out of fear. I’ve feared the unknown, feared the outcome, and feared failure. But I’ve learned that waiting until I am ready doesn’t take any of those fears away. The risk of failure, negative consequences, and not knowing what I’m getting into is still present whether or not I’m ready. And I usually feel more pressure “then” when I finally do something than I do “now” in the moment I decide I want to because I’ve waited and put more expectation on my actions and their result.

When I find myself holding back until I’m more ready, I think it’s pretty interesting because it’s such contradictory behavior to what I really believe. I know that it’s silly to spend time not going after the things you want to do and that make you feel good. I believe with my whole heart in living life to the fullest by taking steps to create the life you want to live. But fear works like that when you allow it and will debilitate and paralyze you. It will stop you from acting or cause you to act in ways that hinder your growth and forward moving progress because it tells you to be afraid and tells you that you can’t.

The unknown is actually a beautiful thing that should be embraced and savored. Not knowing the way things will result or what you’re doing means you don’t have to be so afraid. You have no idea how good or bad things will work out, so you can take some comfort in diving head first into the things you want to do optimistically and hopefully. I have grown to LOVE not knowing and often wish I knew less about many things in life. When you don’t know, you aren’t as attached to possible outcomes because you see opportunity and possibility ahead. The road blocks and rocky parts don’t stand out because you don’t know what they are yet. When you go into something not ready to do it, you get ready along the way as you need to. When things present themselves in the process, you deal with them and learn how to be ready for them in that moment. And that’s all we can really do because nothing is certain and things don’t always go according to plan. You can draw up the best roadmap for implementing your plans and be as ready as you feel you can be and things can still fall to shit. Things can also go totally off plan in ways you weren’t ready for and be totally awesome. That’s just life.

One thing my boyfriend always says that has stuck with me is that it’s so much better to be playing in the game of life than sitting on the sidelines. You can be sitting on the bench getting “ready”, but the people on the field are really making things happen in the game. They have a greater chance of injury, losing, and frustration, but they also have a great opportunity to score and win. Nobody cares about the people on the bench because they’re not doing anything interesting or adding value until they get in the game. And they will never be ready to get on the field because nobody can predict how the game will go, so they might as well just get out there anyway and play. At least they will have some fun and be faced with exciting challenges regardless of the outcome. They might also learn a thing or two about the game, the other players, and themselves.

This quote is a great reminder for me to stop waiting until I’m ready and I hope it is for you too. We may never be ready and that means we may never do the things we really want to do in life. It’s much more exciting and rewarding to stop waiting and start living.

Do you ever find yourself holding back because you don’t feel “ready” or are waiting for some future time when things are better lined up?

Totally relate to this. It’s important to learn and trust (in good time, once one is ready to truly trust the process) that you can’t wait for the perfect moment to start something – just do it! Life needs to be lived, not wasted on the sidelines. Thank you for sharing this topic and especially the quote. Great inspiration to live life to the fullest.

Laura Milroy

I believe that you are never ready although, I highly advocate for planning ahead. I think if you plan properly, even if you are scared of the outcome, you will always have something to fall back on: a plan. But people often are afraid to act because the prospect of failure is more daunting than the prospect of not having what they want. The world tells you that you don’t deserve something, it’s not until you get it that it will validate your ideas.
xoxo, Laurahttp://www.theaccidentalmama.com

Kat Motl Meeker

Great quote! (Side note: I am really not a tv watcher but I LOVED Hugh Laurie in house! Such a great show.)
I recently made a big life decision that I have been pondering for years and it is such a freeing feeling! It is still a long road ahead with many unknowns but I am relieved to know the end is in sight. Sometimes all you can do is focus on the step you are taking right now and try to make that a step towards the end goal, even if you have no idea how you will get there. Just do this step and when it’s over, figure out the next step. It’s easy to trick ourselves into thinking that everyone else knows exactly what they’re doing and where they’re going, but the truth is we are all playing the game of life and figuring it out as we go. All the more reason to play and enjoy and not sit and worry on the sidelines!

This is SO me. I’m always trying to wait until the situation is perfect to do something. Trust me, I can come up with any excuse as to why I need to wait before I accomplish something. This is one of the traits I don’t like about myself and that I’m constantly trying to overcome. Great post!

Needed this today. You = amazing. I agree that I often wish I knew less about the possible outcomes of things. You are a brilliant example of diving in headfirst instead of spending life waiting on the sidelines!!

blawnde

Ahhh I’m so glad you enjoyed! I <3 you. You are doing amazing things and shouldn't hold yourself back for a second from doing what you want to do.

blawnde

Thank you! I think it’s awesome that you’re aware of it. When you catch yourself in these behaviors, it’s so much easier to get yourself out of it.

blawnde

Congratulations! That’s so exciting!! Big decisions are always so good for us because they facilitate change. You’re so right that everyone else is just as nervous and they don’t have it all figured out. We’re all in the same boat and it feels good to remember that.

blawnde

This is a great comment because planning is a great way to buffer the fear and at least get started and try things whether or not the plan is followed. I think the key is not being so married to your plan that you feel like a failure if things don’t go according to it.

blawnde

Thanks Liz! Trusting the process and knowing things will work out as their meant to is so important. X

Yes, this is so me…. Thank you for this reminder 🙂 It can be so easy to wrap yourself up instead of spreading your wings and LIVING! xo

Fede

Thank you Annie, for this post!
This was exactly what I needed to read today!
<3

Katie

I’m obsessed with your whole blog, but I’ve read this post a few times & it is just perfectly written to express what I know a lot of us think / feel. Thank you for putting it out there and giving us all that extra push!